Solo Female Travel and Building Community with Liz Rivas

If you love the show and you'd like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/supportIn this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Liz Rivas about rediscovering self-worth and resilience after the collapse of a long-term relationship—one that ended with a dramatic wedding weekend in the Dominican Republic. Based in vibrant Miami, Florida, [Speaker B] shares how moving through heartbreak spurred her year-long solo travel adventure to 12 countries and inspired her to create a new kind of supportive community for women. Listeners will learn about the real emotional aftermath of addiction in relationships, the liberating (and challenging) nature of solo travel, and how intentional sisterhood can be an antidote to loneliness and self-doubt.About Liz Rivas:Liz Rivas is the founder of RoamCircle, a global women-first community platform helping women find authentic friendships and meaningful connection wherever they roam. After rebuilding her life through solo travel across 12 countries, Liz transformed her personal journey into a purpose-driven business that now connects a growing network of over 50,000 women worldwide. Through RoamCircle, she creates safe, intentional spaces for travelers, expats, digital nomads, and women seeking deeper community in their own cities. Liz is passionate about empowering women to choose themselves, trust their instincts, and build lives rooted in connection and belonging.Main Topics Covered:Navigating the end of a relationship marked by addiction, and the emotional impact of an unraveled wedding (07:03).The difference between the fantasy of a wedding and the true reality and demands of marriage—and what it means to lose oneself in pursuit of a life milestone (08:01).Recognizing and breaking the cycle of codependency, caretaking, and anxiety as a partner to someone struggling with substance abuse (15:19).Using travel as a tool for healing, self-discovery, and building self-trust; why solo travel is a radical act of self-reliance (23:21).The challenges and growth that come from managing loneliness, making micro-decisions daily, and cultivating new routines as a digital nomad (23:34).The importance of platonic, supportive, and safe women’s communities during times of change, and how sisterhood can be more healing than romantic entanglements (26:02).How Liz identified a gap in community for solo female travelers and built Roam Circle, an app that connects women seeking authentic relationships and support globally (28:04).Tips for making authentic connections in a digital world and why representation, inclusivity, and intentional curation matter in building community (34:53).Quote from the Episode:"One thing about solo travel, that it is a radical act of self-reliance... you’re making millions of micro-decisions every day... and all these micro-decisions that you’re making make bigger decisions a lot easier. It makes it a lot easier for you to make choices and to trust yourself and not...ruminating on the what-ifs." — Speaker BTimestamps:00:00 Introduction; both host and guest based in Miami01:16 Why [Speaker B] loves living on the water in Miami02:04 Wedding disaster story; end of a five-year relationship03:31 Addiction, relapse, and unraveling at the altar06:28 Deciding to start fresh and move out13:02 Realization of getting lost in the fantasy, generational patterns15:19 Codependency, hyper-vigilance, and emotional burnout as a caretaker18:48 Travel as healing; transitioning to digital nomad life22:14 List of countries visited and blending work with travel23:21 Sitting with loneliness, embracing uncertainty, building confidence26:02 Sisterhood over dating apps; the unique power of female community28:30 Identifying a need and building Roam Circle34:53 Creating authentic, inclusive digital connections and lessons from Miami42:17 Roam Circle’s story, name origin, and rapid launch45:06 The app-building process: failures, scams, and finding the right developer47:07 Fun questions: magical creatures, style preferences, and travel advice49:10 Wrap-up and how to connect with the show and Roam CircleABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting elevates the voices of experience by sharing real stories from real people figuring out adult life. Every episode features honest conversations about life's choices, changes, and challenges—interviews with individuals (not celebrities) who share their personal experiences and insights. Through these authentic stories, listeners find validation, motivation, and inspiration for navigating their own path through modern life. Because there's a big difference between expert advice and shared experience, and hearing another pe